Covert operation rescues pit bulls

[db7]

Covert operation rescues pit bulls
'Underground railroad' saves doomed puppies

Anne Jarvis
Windsor Star

January 11, 2005

CREDIT: Brent Foster, Star photo
RESCUER: Natalie Kemeny, co-founder of Advocates for the Underdog, poses with her pit bull Rocco in her Windsor home.

Dozens of death row puppies, rescued from Windsor's pit bull ban, have been kept in a network of clandestine safe houses in the city and ferried to new homes across the province and one as far away as British Columbia.

People from as far away as Nova Scotia, who have heard of the ban and want to save a dog, are calling and e-mailing a local pit bull rescue group asking to adopt an animal.

"It sounds a little bit like an underground railroad, I know," said John Roushorne, general manager of the Humane Society of Windsor-Essex. "It's a desperate situation for these poor dogs."

Fifty dogs who weren't as lucky were destroyed at the humane society between October and December.

The society took in a total of 74 pit bulls, many simply abandoned during the first three months of the ban, which took effect Oct. 1.

Owners are supposed to pay for putting down their dogs, but many couldn't be found.

The society, which doesn't have a current contract with the city and is operating month to month, will be negotiating with the city on sharing the extra cost caused by the ban.

Advocates for the Underdog, a pit bull rescue group in Windsor that works with the humane society, has placed 37 dogs with new owners since Sept. 27, the day city council approved the ban, according to Natalie Kemeny, who co-founded the group.

A veterinary technician from Vancouver, B.C. saw a photo of a 12-week-old female dog, a stray which ended up at the humane society, on the group's website and adopted it in November.

Kemeny's partner, Tammy Williams, drove the dog to Toronto and put it on a plane to its new home.

Stephanie Reynolds named her new black and white puppy Diesel.

"You've never met a dog that gives more kisses," said Reynolds. "She's four months old and a little ball of joy."

Reynolds said the Windsor pit bull bylaw and pending Ontariowide ban is punishing responsible owners.

"Quite honestly I think it's pathetic," said Reynolds. "There are a lot of responsible dog owners out there and they are being forgotten about."

Kemeny and Williams received an e-mail Friday from a couple in Nova Scotia who want to save two puppies.

The puppies are kept at the humane society and at six foster homes in the city until they can be taken to other foster homes across the province. Kemeny wouldn't identify the local foster homes to protect the volunteers who care for the dogs.

"A lot of people are getting a lot of flak," she said.

Every weekend since the ban was passed, Kemeny and Williams, who both work full time, have driven across the province to Sarnia, London, Toronto and Ottawa to interview prospective new owners and take dogs to new homes or to a larger network of foster homes. The new owners reimburse them for the cost of shots and spaying or neutering. Sometimes they give them money for gas.

"I feel pressure every day to save a life," said Kemeny.

Some of the dogs are dropped off or surrendered to the humane society. Others are abandoned. Kemeny and Williams received an anonymous call in December saying that a dog had been left in an abandoned house. They picked it up and found a home for it in London.

The humane society found one Sunday chained to the banister of an apartment building with a bag of food.

William Ascott found a small three- or four-month-old male puppy freezing in the snow on Wyandotte Street West near Wellington Avenue on New Year's Eve.

"If you could have seen him," said his aunt, Stephanie Ascott-Przylucki. "His body was frozen. I thought it was not going to live. My nephew thought he was already dead. He picked him up to bury him."

Ascott-Przylucki stayed up all night with the puppy, warming it in a towel by the oven. When she took it to a veterinarian at Brack Animal Hospital, "he said people have been dropping off and abandoning (pit bulls) all over the city," she said.

Ascott-Przylucki is trying to find someone in Essex County to adopt the puppy. If she can't, she'll keep it, she said.

"I told them (the city's licensing commission) they could fine me, put me in jail, do whatever they want, but I'm not going to put him down."

With a provincewide pit bull ban pending, humane societies and rescue groups across Ontario are full and scrambling to rescue dogs, say those who work with the animals.
© The Windsor Star 2005

[Schwinn]

Welcome to your future, Ontario.

[chico2]

It's very sad and infuriating,but there are heroes out there,like this article tells us I know one thing for sure,Bryant would have to step over my dead body if he ever tried to get to my dog(if I had one!)

[mastifflover]

Actually Chico I would rather step over his dead body tied to a railing in the freezing cold with a bag of dog food beside him. I admire these rescuers they are going above and beyond for these dogs. If people really feel they have to give up there dogs because of this idiot I think you might be making a big mistake I don't believe that this ban will last there are way too many constitutional challenges in it and Clayton Ruby will bring everyone of them to court that is part of his expertise. The fiberals will end up back peddling and have to reinvent the bill that they thought they would get through with no hassles. Well that did not go as they planned we made a hell of a lot of noise and brought alot of attention to the issue of responsible ownership. Remember we need to keep educating the public about these breeds and others who will be next on his hit list even though he said no other breeds will be banned look at Italy 92 breeds banned.

[Luvmypit]

You know I haven't heard anything on Clayton Ruby as of lately. HAs anyone heard anything about his progress. I understand he probably won't be put in to action on this issue until the ban has passed but just any info would be great.

[Loki]

Anybody pass this story on to CITY?

[Loki]

Here is a follow-up on Canada.com:
http://www.canada.com/toronto/news/s...8-1e56740d9d15


The National Post covered it also: ( Have to be registered for this link to work)
http://www.canada.com/national/natio...b-966efb72bfc9

[seeker]

Another stroke of the pen making something that was legal yesterday illegal today . At the same time listing more good people as potential criminals in an effort to "control" as well as tie up the courts making more money for the judges and lawyers . What do most of the politicians go back to being when they get booted from office ? Being lawyers , busy lawyers at least a little busier than they were before they became politicians , why ? Because of the actions of the politicians there are more laws and potential criminals .
More money for the "real" criminals to collect along with their big fat tax free pensions.